The Middle Path
by Stonehand
Summary: New Jedi Apprentice Damus Vitroy is on assignment on Nar Shadaa with his master Saran Do "Stonehand", collectively the two encounter numerous conflicts


-Damus Vitroy: 1-

It was a normal day for Zarixx Beelthrus, he awoke to the endless neon lighting of his apartment on Nar Shadaa. Him stepping out on to the streets, blaster on his waist and drink in hand. Recently the Gelkish Cartel had been encroaching on his gang's territories, for a grunt like him that meant a lot more robbery and extortion to help keep their coffers full. Lost in thought he almost tripped over a spiced out Twi'lek, cursing her out and kicking her out of his way, she paid him little mind. "fekkin tweeks, always in the way" he muttered under his breath. He then saw something that made his day, a young man wearing fine garments helping an older figure down from a taxi. He couldn't catch an easier break. He proceeded to follow the two for the next bit until they were isolated, no one would be able to help them, not that anyone would on Nar Shadaa anyway. "This is a mugging gents" he proclaimed blaster drawn and trained on the pair, "now let's have the young one bring us the old man's things and we'll all walk away from this safe and happy. Or you know, I will, you two will be face down in the gutter." He chuckled, he loved to watch civilians squirm, especially offworlders. Something was off though. These two seemed unphased by his threats. On turning around he noticed a the young man was clean cut and looked very stern. Meanwhile the older one bore a blindfold as opposed to the usual Kel Doran goggles, and seemed to be smiling underneath his mask. Clearly he must be senile, Zarixx thought. He made a show of aiming the blaster at the old one "you crazy pops? This is a gun, more specifically the gun that is going to be ending your life, what do you have to say to that?" The older man just laughed, and after catching his breath replied "son, I'm fine with you doing what you need to support yourself and all that, but I've got to ask, don't you have a lady back home or someone you care about?" "You aren't in a position to ask questions old man, drop the credits now." "I'm just saying, you should reevaluate your life if you're in a position like this" the old man waved his hand across his body as he reached up to scratch his head underneath a brown hood "perhaps find yourself a young lady, get some action, that'd loosen you up. Then live an honest life." Zarixx lowered his gun and turned around. They probably don't even have anything worth stealing he thought and walked away. He tripped over the Twi'lek this time actually falling onto his face and looked up at her, she was beautiful to him. "Come on, let me show you what it's like not being stuck on the streets, I'll help you get clean." He said, smiling.

The younger man looked over at his elder perplexed "Master, I understand that not being shot by a mugger was necessary, but wasn't that a bit much? He wasn't anyone important…" he inquired. "Someday Damus, you too will understand that there is more to being a Jedi than simply using the force and doing what the council tells you. More to being a person too while we're at that" The older man replied "now let's continue, these alleyways smell like sewage." Damus shook his head; he didn't understand why Stonehand had taken him on as an apprentice, nor why the council allowed it. This strange character wasn't in the least what he expected when he was told a Jedi master would be mentoring him. "So what's our assignment again?" he asked, not really inquiring but just making conversation. His master turned to him, and sighed, his entire aura seemingly moving as his chest rose and fell "for one who's as quick to draw his saber as you are and have been since you begun training I thought you'd be all over this assignment." He pauses "we're to break into a black sun compound and free a known informant of the council. Some smuggler or something." He holds up his hand stopping Damus walking and pointed ahead, gesturing that was the building. "What's the plan master?" he whispered. "I don't know Damus, you tell me?" his master retorted, a lightness in his voice "let me see your lightsaber for a moment?" Damus reluctantly handed it over, he didn't like being parted from his weapon. Before he realized it he felt himself being pushed forward into the street and hearing "JEDI, THERE'S A JEDI TRYING TO TAKE DOWN THE BLACK SUNS!" from behind him "…motherfekking old man" he mumbled as several large gang members all emblazoned with the icon of the Black Sun surrounded him. He rose to his feet and looked a large Zabrak in the eye. "I assure you this is all just a big misunderstanding si-" his world went black as he was dragged away.

Fluorescent lights blazed as Damus came to. As his vision focused and became less blurry he looked around, he was in a prison cell, not a very well kept one either. He was alone except for a man in the corner, looking out a barred window and smoking. He stood up and steadied himself and walked up to the bars of the cell. I can cut through them and escape easily! He thought, until coming to the realization that his master had his saber, and even if he'd kept it the thugs would've probably confiscated it. "Most people wouldn't be able to take a blow from Korrax like that and be awake after anything less than a few days." He heard from behind him "either you got a hard head, or you've been trained in combat pretty well. Judgin' by the shouting I heard before you went down I'd say it's probably the latter." The man at the window turned around facing Damus now "name's Katon, Katon Ortiz. And we're going to be getting out of this dump."

As if fate had heard Katon say that suddenly an alarm blared and a mechanical voice came on over a speaker system "We've got an intruder breakin' in the front door, all free men head up to defend." The tan skinned man looked at Damus "Friend of yours?" Damus paused "something like that, do you know anything about slicing?" Ortiz grinned "Do tweeks know how to remove their clothing for credits?" Damus gestured at a console in the next cell over, probably meant to control the cell block "If we can get over there can you open up the main doors?" "Yep, though you'll have to do all the heavy lifting." Katon replied, pointing at the bars. Damus had focused his training in the art of saber combat, but that didn't mean he didn't have some degree of physical strength. His first instinct was to kick the bars hoping they were weak enough to collapse under the force of the blow. He was met with a shock from a security grid over them. Katon shook his head and smiled "buddy, these cells have housed bigger than you, you'll have to think outside the box. Don't you have Jedi powers or something?" Damus looked around the room, the room was fairly spartan, a bed attached to the wall, a toilet, and a few trays where gruel had been slopped to prisoners. He sat and thought for a moment. He thought back on the goofy being his master was and wondered what he'd do. He then stood up smiling "you might want to stand back Katon, this may get a bit messy" he expressed, Katon stepping back replied "oh boy…" Damus stepped back, lifting his arms, one of the metal trays proceeded to float up and make contact with the bars causing a current. He then jerked his right arm violently, and the latrine ripped up from the ground, septic fluid gushing out. Flinging his arm forward the toilet flew at the target the tray made, and with a metallic crashing noise the bars came down. Damus looked over at his new companion, now drenched in unspeakable material. "I really hope you have credits, because you're paying to get all of this replaced and cleaned." Ortiz said dryly.

A few rooms over a conflict was breaking out. A score of thugs of every race holding countless different weapons surrounded a single robed figure. "Are you sure you don't want to bring more men?" he asked almost laughing "I wouldn't want this to be unfair for all of you." One particularly large gammorrean stepped forward, snorting several words in his native tongue. "No, no, I assure you I'm not quite-" he pauses to block a blaster shot fired from a nervous goon "Well that's just rude, interrupting a man while he speaks. As I was saying…" in a swift almost dancing like action the Jedi sliced the ground in multiple locations, seemingly at random "…you all can give up now before something bad happens, really it'd be the optimal solution for us all, I'm just here to retrieve a few friends of mine." Insulted by this comment several of the thugs armed with a variety of melee weapons charged at the jedi. Stonehand crouched low and rose in a sweeping motion, each of the men were pushed back by an unseen force, the wind knocked out of them. "Gangsters never do take the easy path, do they? Oh well, might as well get this over with." He sheathed his lightsaber and slowly rose both arms, several large concrete and metal chunks from where he had cut seemingly randomly as well as numerous pieces of furniture rose to the air. "I call this trick…" he began to say as he slowly turned, moving his arms rhythmically, the debris following his lead and colliding with one thug after another with audible cracks "…the hurricane." As men fell he added them to the storm of debris, making sure to not harm any conscious men. He then drew his arms in close to his body and forced them outwards, all but one man flung against the wall. He then drew his saber which glowed a brilliant jade, pointing it at the last man. "Now that your cronies are out of the way how about we fight like men, Korrax the Jedi-Hunter." The master stated, almost laughing from happiness.


End file.
